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Numbers...

Jasmine14

Jasmine14

Active Member
I see a lot of things talking about Aspie people being generally great at math and with numbers.

For me I can remember phone numbers, dates etc. Very well, but I have extreme anxiety with math. I've always struggled with it, though the more straight forward math isn't as bad, I can't seem to hold mathematical Numbers in my head even for a small amount of time. Algebra was nearly impossible for me, by far the worst. X.x

Does anyone else here have extreme difficulty in math?
 
Hi Jasmine14

I am not official yet, but I am in contact with an official aspie and we both are not into maths at all. In fact, I hate maths; I actually hyperventilate when it comes to loads of numbers.

I can only remember phone numbers in twos. As soon as they are separated, I actually see them as a different phone number and as yet, have not remembered mine, but that is because of laziness.

I am also in contact with a young aspie and she absolutely loves maths, so is it not written in stone, so to speak, that you have to be good at maths, in order to be an aspie and actually, I think it is more a male aspie thing.
 
I'm the opposite; I'm a great mathematician, but I can't for the life of me remember phone numbers and I often forget my own birthday.
 
Math was hard for me. But then again, it was not taught to me properly. That whole "New math" was all vogue.

When I learned geometry from Euclid, I liked it, but again, no whiz at it. It was still hard.

My "thing" was language and verbal skills which made it seem I was "OK" because now I am HFA. So my very autistic skill turned against me! Doh. But I would rather have it. I was a good writer once. :-D
 
I didn't know my 6, 7, 8 or 9 times tables til I was in my mid twenties... so yeah, I;m ****ing awful with Maths lol.

Birthdays, dates and phone numbers I'm very good with.
 
ksheehan88 said:
I didn't know my 6, 7, 8 or 9 times tables til I was in my mid twenties
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I still don't know them and I'm 31 next month. As it says in my sig, I have severe dyscalculia. I have the maths ability of a 7 year old, but luckily my husband is good at maths, so I use him as my personal calculator :D
 
I love numbers. I had dozens of people's numbers memorized (before cell phones made it so I barely remember my own number now) and knew all my friends' birthdays. That said, I hated math with a passion until college. It was so hard for me all through high school. I took Calc 1 and after that, something clicked and I couldn't get enough of it. I devoured the rest of upper level calculus classes and took Differential Equations for fun. When I tried to apply it to other classes like physics though, I just couldn't do it. I couldn't make the leap to apply it because I didn't understand the concepts. I think I saw the numbers as puzzles and that's it.
 
I don't remember numbers, and always struggled with algebra. dates I have no clue with. I know my birthday, my wife's just, and my sisters because it's 4 days before mine. I could have a stab at my mum's but not confidently.

I have three kids and would really struggle with any date of birth.

I'm very visual and according to Temple Grandin, it follows that I'd be poor with algebra.

I'm good with words though, written and spoken.
 
When I look at a page of numbers or equations, my eyes slide off the page; there's no starting point.

I experience exactly the same phenomenon with poetry, and, thanks to the internet, a "wall of text". I have tried very hard over the years, I just can't do math or poetry.

It's like my eyes have their own little panic attack!
 
Full Steam said:
I don't remember numbers, and always struggled with algebra. dates I have no clue with. I know my birthday, my wife's just, and my sisters because it's 4 days before mine. I could have a stab at my mum's but not confidently.

I have three kids and would really struggle with any date of birth.

I'm very visual and according to Temple Grandin, it follows that I'd be poor with algebra.

I'm good with words though, written and spoken.
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I've always had a love of writing, I started doing poetry very young (though it's very poor, and I don't often follow a proper rhythm.) Poetry helps me express feeling.
 
I'm good with arithmetic and visual math like geometry, not so good with algebra. Not so good with birth dates or phone numbers either (anymore). I guess it varies from person to person.
 
I loved math because I felt it was logical. There's only one true answer.

My downfall was English, there's too much of a wide answer requiring you to read between the lines, emotions and feelings, etc.
 
savi83 said:
I loved math because I felt it was logical. There's only one true answer.

My downfall was English, there's too much of a wide answer requiring you to read between the lines, emotions and feelings, etc.
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I find English easy; it's just a matter of thinking up some "deeper meaning" to whatever you're studying. Seriously, I've gotten straight A's in English by having a big vocabulary and being able to see anything as a metaphor.
 
I loooove metaphors! Deeper meaning, big questions, and feelings are tied into my special interest of the human condition, which perhaps gives me an edge with writing and written self expression.
 
I wish I could do metaphors. I think they can be very beautiful. I can't think of them myself though. I was horrible in English class and felt safe in math because numbers are so concrete. Like I said though, metaphors are nice. I just recently read The Book Thief which was so heavy on metaphors that it created a cartoonish image in my head that was just too much.
 
I started to formulate my opinion and then I read all the comments so far - and I think it's all about the very specific field of heightened attention for every individual: numbers or language, or visual and so on...
 
Larisa said:
I started to formulate my opinion and then I read all the comments so far - and I think it's all about the very specific field of heightened attention for every individual: numbers or language, or visual and so on...
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I do agree with what you say. The truth of your statement doesn't make your personal experience any less interesting though, should you feel like sharing it.

Edit: I hope that comes off as friendly, supportive, and interested as opposed to a command!
 
Alcyon said:
I do agree with what you say. The truth of your statement doesn't make your personal experience any less interesting though, should you feel like sharing it.
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In my opinion it is exactly what makes mine or every other person's opinion really interestng! It's like everyone has a unique piece (their point of view) of the great puzzle for the whole mankind to compare, collect and see what'll happen out of this :)

I thought right now: is that a reason that I might lose interest to things that mass of other people thinking and arguing about?
Like: 'OK - that aspect's taken care of, I'll see to things that are considered and minded less but are no lesser important in overall picture of the world'

Edit: I hope that comes off as friendly, supportive, and interested as opposed to a command!
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I perceived it that way immediately, but thank you for clarifying anyway :)
 
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